1st time hiring cleaning lady...how to delegate??

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Household Management -> Cleaning & Laundry

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

ProudMommy3

Mon, Jun 05 2017, 9:04 pm

Hi all,

I'm hiring a cleaning lady for the 1st time (HURRAY!!) and don't know what to ask her to do. I'm thinking of having her 1-2 times per week for a couple of hours each time. (Depends on pricing.) I'm not great at delegating, so need help with coming up with a list of tasks for her to do (excluding dishes & laundry- besides bed linen. Meaning, I'd if only have her wash linen & change sheets. Am I making sense?) Can you also include how long you think your list of tasks will take? TIA!

bargainlover

Mon, Jun 05 2017, 9:32 pm

1 hour for kitchen - washing all dishes, cleaning counters and table, oven, washing floor
1/2 hour for 2 bathrooms(1 with out a bathtub)
1/2 hour to wash floor and tidy living/dining room
15 minutes to vacuum steps and hallways
10 minutes to vacuum bedrooms
20 minutes to clean fridge
1/2 hour to fold a big basket of laundry
15 minutes to change linen

Hope this helps! Good luck!!

allthingsblue

Mon, Jun 05 2017, 9:33 pm

Give her the chores you most dislike doing/don't get around to doing.

I have a cleaning lady twice a week for three hours.
During those three hours she can:
Fold laundry
Make beds (once a week change linen)
Organize two bedrooms, put away mess
Clean two bathrooms
Wash, vacuum floors
Wash table and chairs

If I ever want her to do something else (clean kitchen cabinets, oven, fold a LOT of laundry, who knows what else) it comes at the expense of one of the usual items.

allthingsblue

Mon, Jun 05 2017, 9:35 pm

Btw my cleaning lady takes a lot longer than bargainlover's does to fold the laundry, change the linen and clean two bathrooms. Every woman will do it at her own pace.

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Jun 06 2017, 12:47 am

keep your expectations low for the first couple of times. it takes time to learn a new house, learn where the cleaning supplies are etc. Also, if your rooms are bigger, it will take longer to wash floors, vacuum, etc.
in 3 hours my cleaning lady does the following:
folds 2-3 loads of laundry
hangs 1 load wet laundry
washes 3 full bathrooms
vacuums 5 bedrooms and straightens the rooms as well

I have her 2x a week, so the second time she comes for 3 hours she:
cleans kitchen
-washes counters
-cleans 2 stoves
-cleans 2 sinks and dishes that are in the sink
washes kitchen floor
sweeps and washes floors in living room, dining room and hallway

best of luck to you with your help!

nursemomma

Tue, Jun 06 2017, 1:26 am

It takes my cleaning lady an avg of 4 hrs for the following:
Clean 1.5 bathrooms
Vacuum all floors, wash only some (hardwood flooring)
Wash steps
Tidy bedrooms (dusting/cleaning mirrors etc)
Tidy dining room
Kitchen- wash floors, table and chairs, counters.
Some light ironing

I also usually choose one or two rooms that get a more thorough cleaning each week, and then lighter maintenance cleaning for rest. For ex, if I do fridge, stove and kitchen walls, I'll only have her vacuum bedroom floors and not wash.
Good luck! It takes time to figure out what works for you, but you should have a routine figured out in a couple of weeks time.

Page 1 of 1